Finally got a decent wax clone of my master carving, which I'll prep this week for casting in bronze:

Trying to replicate this for a customer (original Roman Parazonium, British Museum I think):

There are some style differences in the grip, I chose a more "feathered" motif, over the "leaves" of the original, but it evokes the original's feel without being a total forgery. Getting the wax clone has been the hardest part of this whole thing, vexing me for months now. 3rd silicone rubber mold finally worked well enough, with few enough flaws to either manage in the wax, or chalk up to historical imperfections being on par with my work. The quality of my injection wax is not where I'd like it, so I need to research that a little more if I'm going to make more of these. I've been chasing the recipe around looking for the right combination of surface smoothness and durability, with a softness that allows for the contraction on cooling without letting go too easy while still in the original-size mold. Air bubbles are the worst little demons, but I have most of them licked, I think.

Sure wish I had a better grasp of how they did it 2,000 years ago. Soapstone works for some things, but I'm not sure it would have worked for this piece.

This looks like a great edc. What are the dimensions? I like a small, pocket fixed blade sometimes, but most of the ones I've tried have had lots of belly but not a fine enough point.

I don't remember exactly (it's been sold) but around 7" LOA probably. I suspect it is a little too deep to make a good daily carry unless you're in the business of preparing game on a regular basis. The great thing about that design is it's really comfortable to choke up on and use your index finger on top of the blade. You get excellent control that way.

This is my first attempt at designing my own daily carry.

3/16" O1 steel, heat treated with an O/A torch and a dip in old motorcycle oil, triple tempered in a toaster oven. Stock removal, not forged. The blade is too thick on this one and even though the blade shape is one I find very pleasing, I think it has too much belly for everyday tasks. I made a second one out of 1/8" stock that performs much better. It was a gift to my brother and he's gotten a lot of use out of it.

Even with an original right in front of me, I wouldn't know where to begin.

Thanks. I think I need to do more of this, as this was my entry into three-dimensional carving. All I had was that one museum picture to go off of, and while there are stark differences, I think the part near the blade, and the eagle's head, are just about as good as can be, given the reference. I didn't know I could carve like that before I did this one, and maybe it's beginner's luck.